


Not So Bad

by ABrighterDarkness



Series: PoTS Stocking Exchange [7]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Avengers Family, Christmas Decorations, M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-02
Updated: 2020-02-02
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:00:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21708622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ABrighterDarkness/pseuds/ABrighterDarkness
Summary: He wasn’t a Scrooge or a Grinch.  Tony didn’t hate Christmas.  He just really didn’t understand the purpose.  He didn’t get it.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Series: PoTS Stocking Exchange [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1626244
Comments: 8
Kudos: 30
Collections: POTS (18+) Stony Stocking 2019





	Not So Bad

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dreamkist](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamkist/gifts).
  * In response to a prompt by [dreamkist](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamkist/pseuds/dreamkist) in the [stony_stocking_2019](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/stony_stocking_2019) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
> 
> 1) whichwaythewindblows🍎#4893
> 
> 2) All the hurt!Tony comforting  
> End of loneliness  
> They get to rest together
> 
> 3) It's Christmastime and the Avengers have some downtime. Tony and Steve have been conscripted into festive preparations. They realize how much they like each other's company.
> 
> 4) DNW non-con
> 
> 5) Transformative works of any of my works  
> Moodboards featuring any of the themes in the tags  
> [Hallelujah](https://youtu.be/xR0DKOGco_o)  
> I'll appreciate anything!
> 
> 🖤

He wasn’t a Scrooge or a Grinch. Tony didn’t _hate_ Christmas. He didn’t rake SI employees over the coals during the holiday season. He was very generous with the holiday bonuses, actually. He didn’t begrudge those around him from celebrating. He didn’t even speak a word in argument when Pepper and the staff wanted to decorate the corporate levels of the tower. He bought the tree and decorations and let them have their fun. Apparently this year the decorations had extended to the living areas as well.

He didn’t  _ hate _ Christmas.

He just really didn’t understand the purpose. He didn’t get it. There were three hundred and sixty-four additional days in the year that he could put weird stuff up and buy gifts for people. What was so special about Christmas that supposedly brought everyone together? And did it really? Or was that just for show? Tony’s personal experiences indicated the latter.

He could remember big opulent parties that his parents hosted every year. Big names, big money, and so on. When he was younger, Tony would be tucked away in his room out of the way. As he had gotten older his attendance was expected but he still preferred hiding away in his room, working on whatever project his mind had latched onto at the time. Christmas day was never really observed in the Stark household. Gifts were earned and perfunctory at best. There was never really the  _ feeling _ of Christmas that Tony had heard so much about and frequently saw on the various holiday themed movies.

It hadn’t really changed in his adult life either. The requisite ‘Merry Christmas’ to and from Pepper each year. Party invitations that he would receive and subsequently decline. In the end, he spent the entire time immersed in his lab in one project or another, mostly content to let it pass him by and be none the wiser until New Years.

Which is how he found himself elbows deep in oil and grease in his newest project car--a so-called Christmas present to himself--keeping his mind firmly off of the decorations currently being placed throughout the penthouse by his well-meaning team. He lifted his head from the car’s innards when he heard the tell-tale sound of the desk chair’s wheels rolling across the floor with additional weight to bear. 

“Hey Cap,” he greeted absently before ducking back into wrenching a particularly stubborn bolt loose. “Aren’t you supposed to be up there destroying my home?”

“Yeah,” Steve sighed, stretching his legs out in front of him and crossing them at the ankles, hands clasping against his chest as he reclined comfortably. “I was tagged to come get you to help. If anyone asks, you refused and I’m down here patiently waiting it out.”

Tony snorted in amusement, “Not far from the truth.”

“Best lies are based on truth,” Steve grinned and then shrugged. “Or so they say.”

Tony shifted back to sit on the car’s frame and studied him curiously, “Figured you’d be all for the whole ‘holiday spirit’ thing.”

“It’s a bit...much,” Steve admitted, pausing to gather his thoughts. Tony watched as he shifted in the chair, pulling his legs back and planting his feet, sitting forward in the chair to brace his elbows against his knees, hands rubbing together in thought. “I...didn’t grow up with much? Trees, lights, decorations. Lotsa years we couldn’t really do all of that, or even some of it. Here, now, sometimes it’s...overwhelming? I’m not ungrateful,” Steve rushed to add. “I’m not. It’s just a lot.”

Tony nodded thoughtfully in understanding. And despite being from the opposite end of the socioeconomic spectrum, Tony actually could relate. The attempts at  _ togetherness _ and the  _ hopefulness _ that he could see the decorations in the penthouse level symbolizing was equally overwhelming. He might have grown up with Howard and Maria having the staff decorated to the nines, it never had the  _ feeling _ behind it that the penthouse was quickly adapting. 

“Yeah, it’s kinda weird, isn’t it?” Tony said with a wry smirk.

“Weird’s a good word,” Steve agreed. He stared at his hands for a moment before glancing up at Tony again, continuing with a rambling uncertainty. “It’s...nice, though? That this team...we’re not just a team, are we? It...it doesn’t feel like we’re just a team. Kind of...family? Pretty dysfunctional family but...family. And they’re... _ we’re _ safe and comfortable enough to think of this as home? I do, I mean.”

Tony got to his feet, dropping the wrench on the cart beside the car and snatching the rag and wiping ineffectually at the various fluids coating his hands and arms. It was less to clean himself up and more to give him something to do with his hands while he considered Steve’s fumbling admissions. He turned bodily towards the other man and frowned thoughtfully, “You think so?”

“Which part?” Steve asked hesitantly.

“All of it,” Tony said, waving his hands around in an attempt to indicate the whole spiel Steve had just stumbled through. “That they all see that too. Family. Tower being home. Being  _ safe _ ?”

“I can’t speak for everyone else,” Steve admitted, pulling himself upright from his forward crouch. His gaze locked onto Tony and studied him intently before speaking again. “Can only really speak for myself and it’s all true for me, at least.”

“Huh,” Tony blinked in surprise and dropped the rag back onto the cart. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that. While he did do what he could to ensure the team had what they needed and as much of what they _wanted_ as he could manage, he never thought that he was actually succeeding at making it more than passingly palatable. That they, that _Steve_ actually felt like he was _home_ was something. If Tony was honest with himself, it was _everything_. He swallowed heavily at the uncomfortable onslaught of emotions and leveled Steve with a playful glare, “I’m still not joining the destroy-the-penthouse party.”

Steve grinned, a bright and genuine thing that made Tony pause in place. Pushing himself out of the chair, Steve made his way over to Tony and the car, “Good, kinda what I was counting on,” he admitted ruefully. “Can I help?”

“Help?” Tony said blankly.

“The car,” Steve gestured. “Maybe if we’re busy they won’t try to drag us back up for the festivities.”

“Oh. Oh, right,” Tony nodded shaking himself from his stupor. “Right, yeah. Uhh, the car.” Tony shifted to glare at the engine compartment and nodded, “Sure, come on.”

It turned out that there was something calming about working side by side with Steve. A second set of--very strong--hands meant the engine was disassembled in significantly less time than it might have been otherwise. And Tony had to admit that there was something undeniably attractive about Steve Rogers caked in oil and grease. Before he could think twice about it, he said as much earning him an eyeroll and a glare that was far more affection than heat.

Maybe this Christmas togetherness thing wasn’t all bad.


End file.
